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CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAYS-TYPES & USES OF LIGHTS

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     A house with an EASY, ECONOMICAL, eye-catching Christmas light display

Nostalgia of Christmas Light Displays

Unless you are one of the rare people who have never seen the Christmas light displays in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, a clear memory pops into your head of Clark slamming the plugs together and the house lighting up. Can you hear the “Hallelujah, Hallelujah” singing in your head? Anyone with a remotely nostalgic view of the holiday season will love the idea of making Christmas light displays to the point of people flocking to it and to show up on an internet search of “Christmas lights near me”, or any relevant version of that related to the holiday you are decorating for. My house isn’t at Griswold level, but neighbors say how happy they are to walk by in the winter. I have never met someone who isn’t happy to stumble on a light display while out walking at night. A most common past time around Christmas is specifically driving around on the hunt for displays to gawk at. Excitement is bred into us as children growing up surrounded by optimism that even dark nights end up the brightest. These memories will plant desires to recreate all the wonder we experienced, while infecting others with the optimism we feel.
 

Brainstorming Your Display

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♬ original sound – Holiday Display Tips
The question is, how do we get from simple Christmas tree lights to a more eye-catching display without being millionaires or spending every waking hour for months? An elaborate display is out of reach for most of us, due to lack of time or money. However, you can still draw crowds and just be a happy sight for everyone. In order to begin brainstorm a plan, a concrete understanding of the different types of available light strings is essential. If you don’t have a plan for your display before starting, it will lead to wasted time and/or money. Remember, your goal should be to decorate like a Griswold but budget your time and money like a Grinch. My goal is to be a resource to help maximize every display with the time and/or money available.
 

Are Light Strings That Important For Displays?

 
While some may not see it as the biggest component, a string of lights is foundational for any holiday display. Not taking string lights seriously is no different than not taking the foundation of your home seriously. Light strings are as much a staple in Christmas as are trees, ugly sweaters, and Hallmark movies. However, those string lights are not exclusive to Christmas and are important to all sorts of holiday displays from Halloween to Hannukah to Cinco De Mayo. Major holidays, whether civil, cultural, or religious are not the same without light strings. The colours help to express whatever traditions and feelings you may want to share. 
 

LED Vs Incandescent

 
It is important to be upfront on one point to avoid misunderstandings and misrepresenting my biases, it is assumed throughout my site that we will not use incandescent lights, preferring LED at all times. The top reasons why I can not recommend incandescent lights are(1) they are relatively brittle, meaning if you drop or bump your light string, the lights will break; (2) they are dangerous to kids as they get extremely hot whereas LEDs are as safe in a child’s bedroom as any other electric device;(3) in part due to the heat of the lights, mixed with cold humidity during the winter, incandescent lights can crack when the temperature goes sub-freezing; (4) as the LEDs are more energy efficient, you can attach more LED strings together than you would be able to do with incandescent lights strings; (5) LED strings are wired well enough that even if an LED burns out, as long as it is intact, the rest of the string will stay on; (6) even under the best of conditions, incandescent lights do not last in comparison with LED lights that last longer by approximately a factor of 25; (7) While incandescent bulbs cost less upfront, shorter life and brittleness mean they cost more time and, eventually, money.

@holidaydisplaytips

A comparison of Incandescent and LED lights (spoiler:it’s, in the end, an argument for LEDs) https://holidaydisplaytips.com/blog/2022/08/17/stringlightsintro https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=christmas+lights&crid=KWM4XNEE525N&sprefix=christmas+lights%2Caps%2C87&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 #christmas #christmastree #christmascountdown #christmastiktok #christmasdecor #christmaseve #christmaslist #christmaslook #christmaslists #christmaslove #christmaslights #christmaslightshow #christmaslover #christmas2022 #christmaslightscheck #chickens #coop #chicken #chickencoop #minilights #purewhite #warmwhite #holiday #holidaycountdown #holidaytiktok #holidaymodeactivated #holidaybeat #holidayvibes #holidays #holidaydecor #christmasdecor #christmasdecorating #christmasdecoration #holidaydecorating #light #lighter #lights #lighttalent #color #colors #coloring #happy #merrychristmas #merrychristmas2022 #blogger #blog #fyp #fypシ #fypage #fypシ゚viral #fypsounds #fypp #fyppp #fypppp #fyppppp #fypppppp #fyppppppp #fypppppppp #fypppppppp #fyppppppppppp #fypppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #voiceeffects #voiceover #chrismasdecorations

♬ original sound – Holiday Display Tips
 

Clarification

To be fair, it could be argued that LED Christmas lights are dimmer and less impressive than incandescent, but only some types and many other LEDs are more vibrant and brighter. Incandescent lights do not meet my sites goal as they take too much money in the long term and their brittle nature will make storage and hanging up overly time consuming. A negative (possible conspiracy theory) is that some bulbs could be made to intentionally fail to make people buy more. I have experienced all the same color, and only that color, along a light string burning out, which is suspicious… Note: you cannot replace incandescent Christmas bulbs with LED, meaning if I have convinced you to switch to LED from incandescent, do NOT attempt to just put LED lights into incandescent light strings as they are wired differently
 

History of Christmas Light Displays

 
Ever wonder where the obsession with Christmas lights began? Here is a bit of history for you. Light strings, especially those being used for Christmas decorations were first conceived of in 1880. According to the American Library of Congress website, Thomas Edison, after inventing light bulbs themselves, constructed a string that he hung outside of his lab at Christmas which entertained passersby. Lighting things up at Christmas time was not a new idea and the German based tradition of decorating trees this time of year was already augmented by putting candles on the branches, but lights were able to be introduced as a less death-defying tradition in 1882. At that time, Edison’s friend Edward Johnson constructed a colored string of lights and placed them on a revolving Christmas tree in his home. In 1903, General Electric started selling premade Christmas light strings, but it was not until Albert Sadacca founded NOMA (National Outfit Manufacturers Association) in the 1920s and aggressively marketed the tradition of Christmas lights.
 

How Many Types Of Lights Are There?

@holidaydisplaytips

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♬ original sound – Holiday Display Tips
 
Now that the history buffs have been satisfied, lets dive into the main types of holiday string lights and Christmas bulbs:
 
There are three main sizes of lights in Christmas light displays, aka holiday string lights, that are used most commonly in contemporary displays: (1) mini lights, which are usually 1/4 inch in diameter by 5/8 inch long, (2) C, standing for cone, lights which, depending on the type, are 1-1/8 inches to 3 inches long by 3/4 inch to 1-1/4 inches in diameter, and (3) globe lights (which, depending on the type, are approximately 4/5 inch to 1 and 7/10 inches in diameter). However, an honorable mention should be given to those novelty strings such as a string of jumbo pathway markers as the larger the Christmas light, the brighter, but that is more of a discussion for decorations than light strings.
 

Mini Lights in Christmas Light DisplaysMini lights as icicle lights and various decorations for Christmas light displays, with some negative points

Mini Lights, of the three types, come in the widest range of forms such as icicle lights, mesh (aka net) lights, and the classic string lights. These are especially useful for creating more of an aura or accent, as opposed to being a specific decoration themselves. They are small enough that they create a color without the bulbs being large enough to catch the eye themselves so effects such as chasing, twinkling, and color changing can seem seamless. This is an overview of the types of lights to ignite brainstorming, effects will be covered in another post. Net lights are useful for bushes and dense trees where arranging strings is difficult, plus nets can hold bushes together. Another way to have an impact is using nets to wrap tree trunks, railings, and non-lighted decorations, i.e. handmade crafts. This can simplify landscape lighting in regards to time, frustration, and the need to plan bulb/color placement too elaborately. Using net lights to wrap tree trunks will decrease the time it takes to cover the tree. They cover a 4ft-by-4ft area in moments as opposed to taking time to carefully spiral a light string around. This will prevent tangled lights from wrapping long strings around a tree as short net lights will stretch.

 

PROs

 
These smaller lights don’t require the same precision to create a proper effect. This is because the flurry of colors will distract the eye from recognizing if three red bulbs are together. Larger bulbs in Christmas light displays being wrapped around a tree can end up with those same bulbs being obvious. Ultimately the issue is that the larger bulbs grouping together take up more space than a grouping of mini lights. On another note, icicle lights are becoming increasingly popular as a simple string of mini lights. They make a large, elaborate decoration when put up on a roof line that looks more elaborate than it is.
 
CONs
 
On the negative side, mini lights as icicle and net lights can be troublesome when getting out of storage. They bind together at least as easy, and probably easier, than standard strings. Each bulb connects to the surrounding ones in multiple ways, so there’s no way to prevent wrapping up on themselves. Furthermore, they have less wattage, which used to mean they are not as bright as their larger siblings. However, a newer form of mini lights in a conical form helps magnify and arguably intensify the brightness level. Micro lights are a sub type that is meant for indoors for subtle lighting inserted into wreaths, garland, etc.
 

C5/C6/C7/C9 in Christmas Light DisplaysC9 lights on different landscape and houses for Christmas light displays

 
Cone lights come in C5 (rare enough that I’ve never seen them used in any normal house displays in our area), C6, C7, C9 with the increasing numbers indicating increasing sizes, and, incidentally, how often they are used by average people. Mini lights came into popularity for Christmas light displays in the 1970s, but cone lights are making a big comeback. This may be due to the nostalgic look of C9 bulbs that resemble the traditional incandescent lights used in midcentury trees and roof lining. They come in a small range of shapes from tear drop to a strawberry form.

C9 Lights

C9 bulbs are 1-1/4 inches long by 2-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and most closely resemble the traditional larger incandescent bulbs. This is the easy go to for house rooflines, lining fences, and other straight, taut applications. They are very commonly used as roof line lighting and simple strings of C9 lights are very popular as standalone decorations in a range of uses. They are spaced 12 inches apart and come in 25- and 50-foot-long strings.

@holidaydisplaytips

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♬ original sound – Holiday Display Tips

C6/C7 Lights

C7s (also known as E12, E12 referring to the size of the base of the light as opposed to C7 that is more referring to the bulb) are 1 inch in diameter by 1-1/2 inches long whereas C6 bulbs are 3/4 inch in diameter by 1-1/8 inches long. In addition to size, a difference between C6/C7 and C9 lights is the wattage each uses and, therefore, how bright they are with the larger number being the brighter. Smaller C lights are useful for lining tree branches, scattering in bushes instead of the thick effect of nets. Finally, they’re useful to line smaller structures, ex. baby barns where a full-size house’s effect might be too much.

@holidaydisplaytips

This is a quick rundown on C7 vs C9 lights. Trying out the automated voices instead of the monotone version of Chandler Bing that I call my voice. Let me know what you guys think. #christmas #christmastree #christmascountdown #christmastiktok #christmasdecor #christmaseve #christmas2022 #holiday #holidaycountdown #holidaytiktok #holidaymodeactivated #holidays #HolidayBeat #holidaybudget #budget #budgeting #christmasbreak #christmasbonus #christmasbudget #christmasbeardoff2022 #blog #blogger #voiceover #voiceeffects #voiceactor #voiceacting #voices #voicesync #christmaslights #christmaslist #ChristmasLook #christmaslists #c7 #c9 #fyp #fypシ #fypage #fypシ゚viral #fypp #fypsounds #fyppp #fypppp #fyppppp #fypppppp #fyppppppp #fypppppppp #fyppppppppp #fypppppppppo #fypppppppppppp #fypppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

♬ original sound – Holiday Display Tips
 

Globe Lights in Christmas Light DisplaysGlobe lights in different colors and on different landscapes for Christmas light displays

 
Globe lights come in a wide array of sizes, but most commonly G30 to G50, being measured in millimeters with the measurement being the number after ‘G’ in the description. Most commonly, they are used for lining patio fences or as a canopy but there’s always room for imagination. To make a non-traditional take on Christmas light displays, you can sub these in for roofline C9’s. A word of caution, you should do research by comparing in stores or, ideally, seeing them used in real life. Multicolored, smaller globe lights, such as G30 are options for garland and wreaths but that is a matter of taste. Larger globe lights could be useful in large outside trees instead of C9 lights. This would save the time spent wrapping C9’s around but still want the traditional light bulb to look on it.

@holidaydisplaytips

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♬ original sound – Holiday Display Tips

Summary of Christmas Light Displays

 
In a nutshell, the different types of Christmas light displays consist of mini lights which are useful when needing a fast but large effect, C5-C9 lights which are more time consuming to place and fix but create a larger, traditional look, and globe lights which are an all-purpose light with an emphasis on being used as illumination itself, rather than decoration (although that may be changing).
 

Thoughts?

 
Please comment on this post if you have further ideas and experience with different uses for each type of light. Decorating is rooted in both different traditions and perceptions of holidays but takes on many different forms. As such, a healthy discussion can lead to innovative ideas for displays. The world will be a better place the more we take time to brighten up the dark nights of winter. Throughout the year, continue to find ways in different holiday to express your own creative thoughts.

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Comments

  5. Julie says

    If I’m honest I would say that I was always jealous of people who had the time and patience to plan out and install beautiful light displays! I had no idea how much thought apparently goes into it! I’m impressed even more!

    Reply

    • HolidayDisplayTips says

      It does take a lot of work but also baby steps are important. Our display still isn’t ‘huge’ but we’ve been building a bit each year we’ve lived here so I’m hoping to inspire people to start small as well.

      Reply

  7. Carmen says

    With Christmas coming up, this was a very informative read! I never realized all the technical details of Christmas lights! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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